After three weeks in Palau and Yap at the Digital Shootout 2006, I flew to Singapore for this year's Asian Dive Expo (ADEX) through my favorite transfer city, Manila. Edmund Tee of FiNS Magazine was waiting for me in the arrivals area and was wearing a black FiNS shirt.

"I only wore the shirt so you would recognize me," he clarified. I believe him at the time, but during the entire weekend I never saw him wearing anything else, and thus can only conclude that the only shirt he owns is that black, FiNS polo shirt! Later on in the weekend, Edmund confessed that he had been worried about having made a relationship with me when he saw me walk out of the arrivals area; I hadn't had a haircut due for about two months due to continuous travel, which had given me a respectable afro -- for an Asian guy! (I had it fixed the next day. :)

ADEX is tiny compared to shows in the United States and Europe, and I was told beforehand by more than one person to "not expect much." But what I discovered when I arrived was a tight network of dive operators, tourism representatives, manufacturers, distributors, publishers, editors, and photographers working together to further the industry as a whole (for the most part). Three days hardly seemed like enough time to meet and befriend all of the people I wanted to see, and evenings were spent out dining and hanging out at bars, often into the early hours of the morning.

Larry Tackett was seen wandering around the expo floor after spending a month in Rajah Ampat

Stephen Wong and William Tan gave a slideshow of their time in Gorontalo (where you can be hosted by the governor, who is an avid diver!)

Peter Mooney fell off of a bench at a bay in Clarke Quay and ended up on the sidewalk outside, missing one shoe

Special thanks to Tony Wu and Emiko Miyazaki, who hosted me and went out of their way to make me feel at home during my first time in Singapore. Thanks also to Edmund Tee and Paul Lees, and to Paul Ng, Lena Goh, and En-lai Yeoh, who came to ADEX to hang out with me (they probably had other things planned as well, but I like to think that I was the draw. :).

Hi Guys,
again many thanks for some great evenings during ADEX and your hospitality. The best part however
was meeting all of you in Person.
Take care!
Gunther
http://web.mac.com/gdeichmann/iWeb/Site/Welcome.htmlPosted by Gunther on 2006-05-20 06:51:37

I use these strobes for several months now. I even won the wide ange competition at Celebrate the Sea with them. I love these strobes they really do TTL very good on my D2X (with two strobes).Posted by cronix on 2006-04-30 15:20:37

How far a fall?!?
Doesn't matter, if you drunk it didn't hurt! hahahPosted by Mike Veitch on 2006-04-27 09:33:57

Peter, you fell into the street all by yourself...Eric had nothing to do with it. You did, however, accomplish the fall with more grace and style than anyone else could have :-)Posted by tonywu on 2006-04-27 09:30:10

I fell completely through the window and into the street - next time I,m gettin' strapped in before I go drinking with Eric !Posted by pmooney on 2006-04-27 08:59:08

Thats not an accent... thats betelnut mumbling...Posted by Mike Veitch on 2006-04-27 00:15:35

Mike - maybe by the time you go to ADEX you'll have lost that Yapese accent you seem to have picked up. :)Posted by Eric Cheng on 2006-04-26 23:17:16

Mooney falls off bench... hahahahah!!!!
Looks like fun Eric! Good review, maybe i go next time.. i seem to know half those people...Posted by Mike Veitch on 2006-04-26 22:42:50